Lia London Bookshttp://lialondonbooks.com
"I was with book as a woman is with child." ~ C.S. LewisMon, 25 Sep 2017 16:32:27 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.2http://lialondonbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/A-shot-BW-170x170.jpgLia London Bookshttp://lialondonbooks.com
3232107425355The America that I Lovedhttp://lialondonbooks.com/the-america-that-i-loved/
http://lialondonbooks.com/the-america-that-i-loved/#commentsWed, 16 Aug 2017 18:27:55 +0000http://lialondonbooks.com/?p=9680Continued]]>The America that I grew up in, that I’ve watched with wonder over the decades, that I have loved and taken pride in all my life … is changing, dying. But let me tell you about the one I remember.

The America that I loved was a place where the family up the street adopted kids of five different races, and that was considered wonderful.

The America I loved was one in which I could go into the local 7-11 and be the only white in a room with seven colors present, all laughing amiably with each other as friends.

The America I loved let people worship (or not) as they pleased, and that freedom was celebrated.

The America I loved was not afraid of different views that allowed for inclusion of differences because she could find room for all at the table of ideas.

The America I loved was a place where kids could dream of their futures, and then educate their minds to reach it without going into crippling debt.

The America I loved allowed my immigrant husband, a man with great talent, but no means, to flourish and become a highly-educated leader in his community.

The America I loved treated women respectfully, honoring womanhood and motherhood as sacred and valuable.

The America I loved honored its veterans and its public servants for their efforts to protect us at home and abroad, and gave gratitude for those who had suffered as POWs or were gravely injured.

The America I loved gave opportunities to the weak, the disabled, the elderly, and the dying to be part of society in meaningful, enriching ways.

The America I loved inspired scientific discovery, and the drive to improve and invent and innovate, so she always reached for more knowledge and new skills.

The America I loved prized its glorious natural resources and the beauty thereof, and did what she could to ensure clean air, water, and soil for future generations.

The America I loved opened doors of communication to nations around the world and said, “Learn from us, and we’ll learn from you, and together we will rise.”

The America I loved extolled the rights of all of its citizens to pursue life, liberty, and happiness, even if their individual interpretations of that dream differed.

The America I loved was not afraid of political dissent, and welcomed open discourse in the media, satire in entertainment, and hard questions in open forums.

The America I loved did not try to silence or otherwise demonize opposition to her leaders, but rather encouraged vigilance against corruption or the abuse of power.

The America I loved made an effort to elect honorable men and women who would be governed by principles and a desire to help their country.

The America I loved had millions of people who considered the needs of society over self, and sought for ways to be of benefit to their communities.

The America I loved sought to end existing conflicts with other nations and avoid future military action through diplomacy whenever possible.

The America I loved valued the voice of each and every voter.

The America I loved sought liberty and justice for all.

The America I loved looked for ways to help all her citizens at once–and the lone citizen in a solitary plight.

The America I loved was respected abroad by nations of many kinds because she dealt justly, respectfully, honestly, and with strength and dignity, leading by example.

The America I loved was a beacon of hope and inspiration to fledgling democracies, showing them that the power of a nation lies in her people, not a lone king, dictator, or oligarchy.

The America I loved reached out the hand of fellowship to the oppressed refugees of war, genocide, famine, and corrupt tyranny, thus showing the world how to love humanity.

The America I loved saw herself as part of a global community on this planet Earth, and took responsibility accordingly, working with her neighbors to build trust and a bright future of good will, fair trade, abundant energy, and prosperity.

The America I loved was one in which I could see a problem yet say with confidence, “This is America. We can totally fix this.”

The America I loved was never all of these at once, nor was she any of them perfectly, but she tried. She was moving in that direction. She wanted to be better. She was sailing with her course charted towards a better tomorrow for all.

Did she give up because we, her children, would not do our part? Or are we the ones who gave up and let her fall?

]]>http://lialondonbooks.com/the-america-that-i-loved/feed/19680Looking for Peace in the Dollar Storehttp://lialondonbooks.com/looking-for-peace/
http://lialondonbooks.com/looking-for-peace/#respondMon, 19 Jun 2017 23:21:27 +0000http://lialondonbooks.com/?p=9644Continued]]>While preparing for a Sunday School lesson, I got the idea to make little take-home gifts featuring the peace symbol. I grabbed my keys and headed down to the Dollar Store, figuring I could pick up some stickers, erasers, or maybe some other party favors with the symbol on it. They were all over the place, right?

Wrong.

I scoured every single aisle of the store and found nothing. Stopping an employee who was stocking the shelves, I asked if she’d seen anything with the peace sign on it. Nope. Nothing.

“What, is peace not a thing any more? Don’t people want it?”

She shrugged. “I guess not in this store.”

(You can see where I’m going with this, can’t you?)

Peace doesn’t come in a store any more than Christmas does (just ask the Grinch). Peace doesn’t even come from policies, treaties, slogans, or military enforcement. Peace starts inside the soul and grows outwards.

Here are a few quotes that I’ve found in my recent study of the topic that I thought I’d share.

“We cannot expect permanent peace, nor will it come until such time as the hearts of men are turned to peace, and men will not have peace in their hearts until they no longer permit selfishness to be their ruling power.” ~ Joseph Anderson

How true that putting self first increases the likelihood of conflict instead of peace! When all we care about is what we want, we will resent and resist those who stand in the way.

“All thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” ~ Isaiah 54:13

The sooner we start, and the more consistent we are in filling our hearts with the good news of God, the more that knowledge can override the fears, doubts, or insecurities that often disrupt our inner peace.

“Men and nations may loudly proclaim, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there shall be no peace until individuals nurture in their souls those principles of personal purity, integrity, and character which foster the development of peace. Peace cannot be imposed. It must come from the lives and hearts of men.” ~ Thomas S. Monson

Though people often recognize that peace comes with a price, they mistakenly think it’s a price tag that a government or organization can exact from a body of people. But the real price is far more personal. Everyone has to buy in and live in such a way that peace is the expectation, the obvious natural consequence, not the artificially constructed end of negotiations.

Which isn’t me saying to abandon peace talks in the Middle East (or anywhere else on the planet). It isn’t me saying diplomacy is dead. It’s just that we need to keep the door open for the Spirit of the Lord to cut the deal because that’s what will ultimately make the difference in the world.

As the ugly twin to a perfect sister, Princess Laidra lives her life in the shadows—until her parents offer her as bait for a giant serpent.

Her escape attempt leaves her shipwrecked on a secluded island with only one inhabitant: Prince Calen, who lives under a curse. If anyone looks upon him, he turns into a giant serpent. Speaking to him in the darkness, Laidra sees past the monster to Calen’s lonely soul, and she determines to free him from the magic’s hold.

But if Laidra can’t break the curse in time, Calen will become a mindless creature of scales and fangs forever.

From the time that the nature of her gift/curse was described, I was intrigued. This story had the potential to go in so many different directions, and I couldn’t wait to see what Burke did with it. When it turned out that there was a mirror curse—in fact two sets of mirror curses—the plot thickened deliciously.

Laidra is a highly sympathetic main character. Though her detracting characteristic and her talents far exceed normal boundaries in either direction, any reader can relate to feelings of insecurity. Many of us have felt unloved, unwanted, even when a piece of us knows we have worth beyond what others might see. It can leave us feeling without direction or hopeless.

At one point, Laidra prays to an unnamed god, querying her fate in a most poignant way: “You spared me. Whether out of pity or purpose, I know not, but if pity, please give me purpose … and if purpose, please, take pity and let me discover why.” This reverberated through me. What a soulful and earnest desire: to have a purpose for good and to know what it is. This moment is indicative of Laidra’s spirit, and it is what makes her such a sympathetic heroine despite her outward “flaws”.

The plot twists and conflicts are beautifully constructed, and the hints at the Eros and Psyche story of mythology are woven in with both recognizable and unique threads. Mythology lovers, dragon lovers, fantasy lovers–heck, lovers of lovers will all find something to love about this fresh telling of a centuries old legend.

I have a minor concern / warning: the illustration on the cover (gorgeous) lends an air of whimsy and might catch the eye of younger readers. While everything in the book is tastefully handled—from the romantic scenes to the snake attack scenes—there are ongoing references to the need for marriage “consummation”. A ten-year-old picking up the book may not realize that this is talking about breaking a spell via the honeymoon conjugal intercourse, but it does seem more of an adult theme than the cover implies the book carries.